On a day when TMU's men's soccer seniors were honored at the club's regular-season home finale, a junior took the scoring spotlight.
Luis Garcia Sosa scored three goals and assisted on three more as the Mustangs shut out San Diego Christian 7-0.
The victory lifted the Mustangs (13-4 overall, 5-2 GSAC and 15 points) into sole possession of third place in the GSAC and kept them in contention for a first- or second-place finish that would give them a first-round bye in the conference tournament that starts on November 3.
"Senior Day is bittersweet and I'm glad we honored them (seniors)," said TMU head coach
Jim Rickard. "I'm grateful for our eight seniors and how they have grown over the years."
The day was particularly sweet for Garcia Sosa, whose double-hat trick (goals and assists) for nine points established single-game career-highs.
It started just 2:59 into play when the midfielder scored in unassisted fashion, beating Hawk goalie Xavier Snead-Williams.
Garcia Sosa's seventh goal of the season proved to be his team-leading fifth game-winner of the campaign.
It was just the beginning.
He would be involved in his club's next five goals over the next 60-plus minutes.
He was the facilitator, along with
Dylan Bielanski, on the next goal,
Benji Tembo's seventh of the year at the 16:22 mark.
Then, less than four minutes later (20:22), Garcia Sosa made it 3-0 after taking a pass from
Trevor Mangan.
The Mustangs took that three-goal edge into the half on the strength of an 11-2 shot advantage and a defense that surrendered just one shot on goal over the opening 45 minutes.
They would take 12 more shots in the second half and convert four of those.
Garcia Sosa and Tembo assisted on Bielanski's seventh goal of the season just over 10 minutes (55:20) into the second half.
Just over six minutes later (61:49), Garcia Sosa notched his hat trick, scoring his career-high ninth goal of the season for a 5-0 lead.
Tembo benefitted from Garcia Sosa's passing soon after, scoring goal No. 9 at the 65:38 mark.
Garcia Sosa's third assist tied him with Mangan for the team lead with 10 and his 28 points are also a team-high along with his senior teammate.
Justin Ikeora closed out the Mustangs' highest-scoring effort of the season with 13:05 remaining, shooting in his first goal of the season off passes from
Carlos Moreno and
Tyler Grassi.
TMU keeper
Matheus Taraszkiewicz, who collected three saves, posted his first shutout in a Mustang uniform.
Winners of four in a row, the Mustangs close out the regular season on Saturday when they visit Ottawa in Surprise, Arizona, looking for some help that will land them a No. 1 or 2 seed in the upcoming GSAC tourney.
